Killer Ford 460 - Biggest Of The Three Blocks

Ford 460 - Hands On

In spite of our reputation as Chevy-worshipping fanboys, we really do appreciate diversity here at CC. Therefore, we'd be remiss if we didn't include a big Ford 460 build in this Budget Big-Block issue. The build we initially had lined up didn't work with our deadline, but fortunately, Brian Hafliger of IMM Engine and Dyno in Indio, California (and builder of the Dodge 400 in this issue), had a customer with a Ford 460 that needed to be rebuilt.

Brian's customer will use this Ford 460 engine in his off-road racing truck and needs it to make max power somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 rpm. He also needs it to get good gas mileage. Of course, good is a relative term--his previous 460 struggled to average 3 miles per gallon. These constraints affected the choices Brian made when picking parts such as the cam and the intake manifold, but we still like this build because, like the Dodge, there are no exotic parts in this recipe, and it's something any of our readers can build at home.

This is the biggest displacement engine of the issue, and we're expecting the highest horsepower and torque from it. The price of the build will also likely be the highest because we're using aftermarket cylinder heads here, unlike in the Dodge and Chevy engines. Use this build as an outline for planning a 385-Series big-block Ford of your own. No matter what, a 460 offers huge potential for big power numbers.